The present invention relates to a new and improved package for articles, in particular sterilized pairs of gloves used for medical purposes, which package is formed from a sheet, for example paper, of essentially rectangular configuration which is folded parallel to all four sides and then centrally. This invention also relates to a method of forming such package.
When packaging sterilized pairs of gloves used for medical purposes different factors must be taken into account, namely: firstly, the package should be of a nature such that the packaging operation can be easily automated in order to prevent any contamination of the packaged product by handling. Secondly, the package should be configured such that when opening the same as large as possible area of the gloves, especially the fingers, remain covered up to the last moment prior to use. Thirdly, the gloves should be packaged in a manner that they can be removed from the package without any difficulty and placed upon the hands of the surgeon or the like without contacting the sterilized surfaces.
While taking into account these requirements there has become known to the art a glove package composed of an essentially rectangular sheet of paper which initially is folded over to both sides of the adjacently situated gloves of a pair parallel to the lengthwise direction of the gloves and then perpendicular to such lengthwise direction. In this way a pocket is formed in which the pair of gloves is located. This pocket is then again folded over centrally between the gloves, so that there is formed a package approximately of a size corresponding to a glove. This package is thereafter placed into a likewise sterilized bag, so that it then can be shipped. The drawback associated with this package and its fabrication is that upon opening the package initially the folds or folded portions must be opened from the top and the bottom and thereafter the folds to both sides of the gloves, with the result that the entire area of the gloves is immediately freely exposed and subjected to the effects of the atmosphere. In order to prevent contacting the gloves during opening of the lateral folds or folded portions, the latter are once again folded over outwardly a slight amount at their edges, so that the fingers of the person opening the package do not have to contact the gloves. This of course constituted an additional complicated operation in forming the package, resulting in increased costs owing to the required automatic operations. Furthermore, considered from the standpoint of the expenditure of material and also the cost thereof, what is disadvantageous with this prior art packaging technique and the package formed thereby, is also the size of the paper which is needed in order to package the pair of gloves. Since it is absolutely necessary to have the gloves covered up to the last moment prior to use, the lateral folds or folded portions are each folded over towards the center, with the result that the width of the paper must be at least twice as large as the space occupied by both of the adjacently situated gloves. Equally the material needed for forming the bags into which there are filled the gloves which have been folded into the paper package, is considerable since such likewise must correspond approximately to the size of a glove.